Spotify has proved a success ever since launching locally early last year, but one of the most coveted features of the streaming service has remained out of the reach of most South Africans – the Spotify Family Plan.

To add insult to injury, now the platform has announced a handful of new features for the Family Plan.

Launching in Ireland initially, and then porting to selected regions, the Spotify Family Plan will now allow parents to better control the content their children listen to on the streaming service.

To that end there will be an “Explicit Content” filter added to the mix, which prohibits listening to anything marked as explicit. Added to this the feature is password-controlled with only the key account holder having access.

There’s also a Family Mix feature that is being added. This compiles unique playlists based on the listening habits of all users associated with a specific Spotify Family Plan. The platform adds that personalisation of the playlist is also in the offing, which will work in a similar way to the Duo Mix feature that Spotify rolled out earlier this year.

For South Africans however, this is all a bit mute, especially as the Spotify Family Plan has not been made available here yet.

If it is eventually brought to our shores, we can see it becoming a rather popular option for nuclear families or groups of friends, particularly as it presents great value for money. With up to six people allowed on a Family Plan for $14.99 Stateside, compared to the standard Premium subscription for $9.99, the savings can prove significant.

As such we’re hoping Spotify makes an announcement soon regarding the local status of its Family Plan availability.